Your origins affect your path through adulthood, from your family to the things you get to see. Coi Leray, 22, is now a rapper after watching her dad navigate the very same game. Birthed directly into the industry as the daughter of Boston rapper and mogul Benzino, Coi was writing her own rhymes at 14 years old, with enough bars to spare for her brother. As a duo, they released music online, but both stopped rapping after a short time. Her brother went on to play basketball; Coi circled back to hip-hop in 2017 after growing frustrated with her day job.

This time around, she had a better sense of the artist she wanted to be: a woman with an aggressive East Coast demeanor who could balance both her edge and vulnerability. The first song that really took off for Coi was 2018's "Huddy," the bass-heavy track that flips Durrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job" hook into a song about only keeping the flyest women in her presence. The video is nearing 3 million views, indicative of a buzz that helped her land a deal with Republic Records.

With her mixtape EC2 (aka EverythingCoZ2) out this year, a budding relationship with former XXL Freshman Trippie Redd and more new music on the way, Coi is rolling at full speed.

Get filled in on Coi and her "CoZ" lifestyle in this week's edition of XXL's The Break.

Age: 22

Hometown: Hackensack, N.J.

I grew up listening to: "JoJo, Chris Brown, Avril Lavigne, B5. And then once [the] Chicago wave came out, Chief Keef [and] Lil Durk. They're just so lit. I love 808s; I love trap music. It makes my adrenaline pump. I used to like the Black Eyed Peas, too."

My style’s been compared to: "They be comparing to the most incomparable muthafuckas in this muthafuckin' industry. I say that with the most humbleness. That's all I'ma say. I'm gonna leave it there."

My standout records to date have been: "'Huddy,' 'G.A.N,' 'Bitch Shut Up.' 'Envy C' hit half a mil on YouTube."

My most slept-on song: "'Did It.' I ain't shoot the visual to it yet. When I shoot the visual and drop it, it's gonna go brazy."

My standout moments to date have been: "It's only getting better and better. I would say this [interview], now. Into The Spider-Verse! I'm on a Spider-Man soundtrack that's one of the biggest movies in the world. That's one of my biggest accomplishments."

Most people don’t know: "They don't know that I can get crazy. Nobody knows how crazy I can get, until they actually witness it."

I’m going to blow up because: "I know I'm gonna blow up because... you gotta speak it into existence. If you don't know that you're gonna blow up, what's the point of you even trying to blow up? Perfect example, if I'm trying to build a robot and I want it to move, I'm going to make that shit move. And I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make it move and I'm gonna find all of the pieces. If I don't have the objective of my robot moving, then what the fuck am I gonna build, a statue?"

I’m going to be the next: "I'ma be the next famous, most important person in the world. I'ma be the next Zeus. Zeusarina."

Follow Coi Leray on Instagram and SoundCloud.

Standouts:

"G.A.N"

"Huddy"

"Envy C (Remix)"

"Good Day"

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